E-Liquid News

E-cigarettes have quickly become an extremely popular alternative to smoking, although there is still much debate as to the extent of health benefits associated with vaping versus tobacco smoking.

One thing is for sure: e cigarettes are comparatively healthier than normal cigarettes. Smoking burns tobacco in order to produce large quantities of nicotine quickly. Nicotine is the addictive ingredient, but the most harmful aspect of smoking is the smoke itself.

Why is vaping considered healthier than smoking?

Along with nicotine, burning tobacco also releases a dangerous mixture of other toxic chemicals that have been found to contribute to various cancers, heart disease and other serious illnesses – carbon monoxide and tar, to name just a few.

Vaping does not involve the process of burning tobacco to produce smoke, therefore it avoids the harmful chemicals that are ingested by the body when puffing on a cigarette.

For regular smokers who are addicted to nicotine, e-cigarettes are a far healthier alternative to tobacco – similar in theory to nicotine gum or patches. The various levels of nicotine contained within e-liquid allow vapers to gradually lessen their dosage of nicotine over time, eventually removing it completely from their daily routine.

What do the studies say?

BBC

Following a period of smoking and vaping, the people were asked to give saliva, urine and breath samples for analysis, which were then tested for levels of harmful chemicals.
They found that while the vapers got a similar dose of nicotine from their eliquid, their levels of carbon monoxide and other dangerous chemicals were significantly lower than the smoking group. The levels of harmful chemicals in the vaping group were actually more similar to those found in non-smokers.

PHE England

PHE England also conducted a much larger, in-depth study in August 2015 that concluded that e-cigarettes have potential to help smokers quit their habit. The report also found that:

The current best estimate is that e-cigarettes are around 95% less harmful than smoking

Nearly half the population (44.8%) don’t realise e-cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking

There is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes are acting as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers

University College London (UCL)

One of the most recent studies on vaping conducted by researchers at UCL in March 2016 found that e-cigarettes helped approximately 18,000 smokers to quit in 2014.

The UCL team has been tracking the rapid rise in use of e-cigarettes using monthly national surveys and estimates that in 2014 almost 900,000 smokers used one of these products to try to quit.

Professor Robert West, who led the research team, said: “E-cigarettes appear to be helping a significant number of smokers to stop who would not have done otherwise – not as many as some e-cigarette enthusiasts claim, but a substantial number nonetheless.”

Understanding the health impact of e-cigarettes

You may have read headlines that e-cigarettes are ‘not safe’, but that certainly doesn’t mean they are not safer than smoking cigarettes. In fact, e-cigarettes could well be our most powerful weapon when combating the biggest preventable cause of cancer – smoking.

However, we believe it is still important to be aware that there is no healthier substitute than stopping smoking or vaping completely. If you don’t already smoke then it’s not wise to start vaping as there are no positive health benefits for doing so.

Research into the long term health effects of vaping are ongoing, though again it is more than likely that any negative effects are far less than those associated with smoking tobacco.

Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of premature death and disease in the UK and beyond, responsible for one in every five deaths in adults aged over 35.

For regular smokers, kicking the habit is also the single biggest step they can take to improve their health. Even after a few months of quitting, you will notice the difference: clearer skin, more energy, easier breathing and lower stress levels are all common short term benefits. That’s not to mention the main benefit which is ultimately living a longer life.

Nicotine patches and gum have been a mainstay in the quitter’s arsenal for quite a while, but now e-cigarettes are quickly becoming the most popular option for those looking to quit tobacco smoking.

NHS recommended

According to the NHS website: “An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is a device that allows you to inhale nicotine without most of the harmful effects of smoking. Over recent years, e-cigarettes have become a very popular stop smoking aid in the UK.”

The most harmful aspect of smoking is the smoke itself, a nasty cocktail of carbon monoxide, tar and plenty of other toxic chemicals. Remember that e cigarettes produce vapour, not smoke, and are therefore comparatively less dangerous to ingest. The threat of secondhand smoke is also removed almost entirely.

At the moment, e-cigarettes are not classed as medicinal, which means they are not available on prescription from the NHS. However, as more research into the associated health benefits of vaping over smoking is completed they are expected to be added to the NHS’s stop smoking services.

We hear so many success stories of people who have tried and failed to quit over the years by using nicotine patches, gum and other quitting aids, who have now managed to give up nicotine altogether by using e-cigarettes to gradually decrease their dependency.

The research

Don’t just take our word for it. One of the most recent studies on vaping conducted by researchers at UCL in March 2016 found that e-cigarettes helped approximately 18,000 smokers to quit in 2014.

The UCL team has been tracking the rapid rise in use of e-cigarettes using monthly national surveys and estimates that in 2014 almost 900,000 smokers used one of these products to try to quit.

Professor Robert West, who led the research team, said: “E-cigarettes appear to be helping a significant number of smokers to stop who would not have done otherwise – not as many as some e-cigarette enthusiasts claim, but a substantial number nonetheless.”

Longer term research into the health effects of vaping is ongoing, although initial research suggests that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than tobacco.

Nearly 3 million people use e cigarettes in the UK, but the way people vape has recently changed.

As of 20 May 2016, new EU legislation* on vaping now officially classes e-cigarettes and e-liquids as a tobacco-related product. (*These rules still apply in the UK until Britain officially leaves the EU.)

Size and strength

The legislation allow places limits on the size of eliquid containers, so that the maximum size container available to buy will be set at 10ml. The maximum strength of eliquid has also been capped at 20mg per millilitre. These changes will come into effect in 2017, giving time for businesses to sell old stock.

Where am I allowed to vape?

You may have seen people puffing away on their e-cigarette in all manner of places and wondered what the exact law is that governs e-cigarette use. As of 2015, vaping regulations were tightened so that vaping is now in fact banned in most enclosed public places.

Many restaurants, train companies and airlines have specific policies that do not allow e-cigarette use, although there are plenty of pubs and restaurants who will allow you to vape in the premises. If you’re unsure, always check first with a member of staff before you start vaping.

Vaping laws around the world

In many countries the legal status of e-cigarettes is still pending. The current regulation of e-cigarettes varies from country to country, although it is worth noting that regulation is gradually getting tighter on the whole.

Most countries within the EU are subject to the same regulations as described above. However, the strictness of these regulations differs in each country. If you are unsure of the law on e-cigarettes in a particular country then it is worth double-checking before you go ahead and start vaping, on holiday or otherwise.

The current status in the US is similar to that in the UK, where the use and sale of e-cigarettes is deemed legal. In Canada, despite the fact that the sale of e-cigarettes is technically illegal, they are still commonly available across the country.

There is no direct law or regulation for e-cigarettes in Australia, although there are a number of laws that govern the regulation of poisons and tobacco control, some of which may apply to e-cigarettes. Specific regulations are currently being developed.

We are very excited at The Flavour Factory – we have signed off the plans today for our new clean room to be built. We will keep you upto date with pictures as the room progresses. Orders will not be affected by the ongoing work.

E cigarettes are back in the news again, with an article being run on BBC breakfast this morning. The article highlights that the number of people using e cigs has increased from 2.7% in 2010 to over 17% in 2014. It goes on to state that just over half of current or ex-smokers have now tried electronic cigarettes, either to reduce the amount of tobacco they use or to save money.

The Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) survey went on to state that the use of e-cigarettes among people who have never smoked remains small at 1%, so on the face of it, it doesn’t appear that the e cig market is encouraging young people who haven’t smoked tobacco cigarettes to take up e cigs.

But what about the health benefits? The Smoking Toolkit Study, has discovered that the use of electronic cigarettes are overtaking the use of nicotine products such as patches and gum as an aid to quitting smoking in England.

It also found that the proportion of smokers who gave up smoking in the past year had increased and smoking rates in England were continuing to fall.

Also, the report demonstrated that the use of an e cig meant that vapers had the same low levels of carbon monoxide in their lungs as non-smokers with none of the tar and similar products associated with tobacco smoking.

So it would appear that e cigs not only save you money, but can be used to help smokers become non-smokers.

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Disclaimer

You must be eighteen (18) years of age, to purchase any of our products. The Flavour Factory reserves the right to cancel any transaction where it reasonably believes the purchaser is either not of the required legal age or purchasing products on behalf of a minor.

The Flavour Factory actively encourages people not to take up a nicotine habit. If you are not already a smoker then please do not buy our products.

Warning: nicotine is a poison. nicotine is harmful. Keep out of reach from children and locked away in a safe place. If any nicotine product is consumed, seek medical assistance immediately.